


The Elements and Love

by ml101



Series: Ocean of Stories [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, F/M, Rumbelle Christmas in July
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 05:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7561831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ml101/pseuds/ml101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the Darkness no longer threatening the entire world, the Avatar and his family can finally live a life and look back with no regrets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Elements and Love

_Water. Earth. Fire. Air._

_Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. All magic, balanced. Then, everything changed when the Darkness started tipping the scales._

_An old Seer prophesied that one day, a humble man from the Water Tribe would learn to master all four elements, thus becoming the Avatar, and would be able to stop the Darkness from taking over the world._

_But the Darkness did not want to be challenged. It ordered all under its control to destroy all the male members of the Water Tribe._

_3 decades past and my half-sister and I discovered that our previously famous Tribe leader, Merlin, had managed to sneak his grandson to safety before being killed by the Darkness itself._

_His grandson, along with his godmother, the strong Water bender named Reul Ghorm, had fled to the Earth Kingdom._

_But the Darkness had captured Reul Ghorm before she could properly teach him anything. Before she was killed, she had managed to send word out to the remaining female members of the Water Tribe. The Avatar was still alive and he was going to need everyone’s help to put a stop to the Darkness once and for all._

_This was what my sister and I had discovered as we scoured through the remaining archives of the Water Tribe. Although the Water Tribe had merged with other nations because of how little our population has become, we are still able to live and practice our customs and traditions._

_It was then we learned that Reul Ghorm had given the Avatar to two ladies of the Earth Kingdom, so that he would be raised by someone else..._

* * *

Belle stopped and looked at the page she had written. So that was the first part...why was this so difficult? She had lived the story. Why couldn’t she write it properly?

Getting rather short on her writing skills, Belle set fire to the pile of notes she had initially written and just watched them turn into ash.

That was until a jet of water stopped her flames and Belle wheeled around to face her rather amused husband who bended the water back to the small pond outside their home.

“What did the poor things did to earn you flames of wrath, darling?” asked Rumple as he hugged Belle from behind, his arms resting on her shoulder and his hands clasped just above her pregnant belly.

“I just thought it would be a great idea to write our story,” said Belle as she leaned into his warm embrace. “Between Mary Margaret and I discovering Blue’s letters and looking for you in the Earth Kingdom, then teaching you the Water, Earth, Fire and Air bending...resulting in the end to you defeating the Darkness once and for all…”

She trailed off finally whirling around to wrapper her arms around her gaunt husband. “Why is it so hard to write?”

“Why are you writing it to begin with?” asked Rumple, still with that amused smile that just made him infinitely more handsome. “I doubt everyone else wants to hear it...seeing as they lived it.”

“Why do you think, oh great Avatar?” teased Belle as she stood and wrapped her arms around Rumple’s neck, pressing herself to him.

“Ahhh,” said Rumple in realization as he touched her belly. “I’m sure our little baby girl won’t appreciate it until she’s much older. You have plenty of time to write it.”

“Write what? Oh stop! You two really need to learn to lock the door!” came the fast reaction from Baelfire as he was about to enter their room but soon retreated, a hand over his eyes.

Rumple and Belle laughed. “Learn to knock, Bae.”

“You know Emma walked in on your sister and David and I laughed at her,” said Bae, still a hand over his eyes. “She’s going to have a field day with this.”

They heard Rum’s first child down the hall, grumbling about his father and step-mother all the way. Rumple and Belle exchanged a look before bursting out in giggles again.

“Remember,” teased Belle. “That teenager is your Earth Bending teacher.”

“Well I’m better than him now,” replied Rumple with a smug smile. “I’d wager I’m better at you at Fire Bending.”

“Oh really?” asked Belle, her eyes sparkling with an idea. “Is that a challenge for an Agni Kai, Rumplestiltskin?”

“Well,” began Rumple shrugging his shoulders. “Seeing as the sun has already set, I don’t think it would be wise.” He stopped and looked back to the charred remains of Belle’s writing. “Maybe I can help with the storybook?”

“Who said anything about it being a storybook?” asked Belle with a smile. “I don’t draw.”

“Yeah but your sister and my son can,” replied Rumple. “Besides, if it was for our soon to arrive daughter, I’m sure you were thinking for it to be a storybook.”

Belle laughed at his reasoning. “Well you got me. Yes it is a storybook and that’s why I’m having a bit of a difficulty.” She turned to him and grimaced. “Your story is quite long and complicated.”

Rumple scoffed. “You mean ‘our’ story, darling.”

“Well it mostly revolves around the Avatar and right now the story of the Avatar is giving me a headache,” complained Belle and Rumple used his Air Bending to float her to their bed.

“Well maybe the Avatar can help alleviate that problem,” said Rumple with a grin as he joined Belle on the bed.

* * *

“So the story so far...Rumple grew up with two spinner ladies in the Earth Kingdom,” began Mary Margaret as she fed baby Neal while Belle was in the kitchen. “He learned he could Water Bend at a young age but kept a secret even from the two ladies who adopted him.”

“Yup,” replied Belle as she continued to do whatever it was she was doing in the kitchen. “Their neighbor then arranged a marriage between Rumple and the neighbor’s daughter, Milah.”

“Why? Because of Killian?” asked Mary Margaret, her voice lowering a little in sadness.

“Milah’s father didn’t want her marrying Killian so she and Rumple got married and then they had Bae,” explained Belle. “But then Rumple could see Milah truly loved Killian, the three of them were best friends after all, and decided to end the marriage and help Milah and Killian leave the Earth Kingdom.”

“But that was when the Darkness attacked the borders of Ba Sing Se and Milah was killed while Killian suffered the loss of a hand.” remembered Mary Margaret, she then turned to her daughter. “That’s when we come in, dear sister.”

“You got that right,” replied Belle. Mary Margaret was her older sister and Rumple’s teacher of Air Bending. She was married to a resistance soldier named David Nolan, now General of The United Forces. The three of them had set off from Omashu to Ba Sing Se when they discovered Blue’s letters. The resistance believed that the Avatar was still alive and that he could finally end the battle with the Darkness once and for all.

“What are you talking about?” asked Emma as she and Baelfire went back to inside.

“Our little journey around the world,” replied Mary Margaret. “Your Aunt Belle and I had just arrived in Ba Sing Se and had went and searched for the Avatar when he was actually the nice man who offered us longings for our stay.”

“For a very low price for such grand rooms,” remarked Belle. “Bae was just 3 years old at that time but he was already showcasing his Earth Bending skills. Killian wasted no time in teaching him things.”

“What made you realize Papa was the Avatar then?” asked Bae as he made a grab for one of the biscuits his step-mother was making, only to be swatted with a wooden spoon.

“Oh that’s because of your very clumsy step-mother Bae,” replied Mary Margaret that earned her a glare from her younger sister. “She slipped and not one of us could get to her in time but Rumple bended some water to ice and manage to steady her before she could.”

“David and Killian then plotted to get us to leave Ba Sing Se as soon as possible.” continued Belle.

“Where did you go?” asked Emma, she knew some parts of the story but she wanted to listen to the entire thing.

“Go where?” came the voice of David Nolan as he and Rumple arrived at the former’s house. They had been wrapped up with United Forces meetings the afternoon and had only gotten home now.

“We’re trying to shorten the story of the Avatar for a storybook Belle’s making,” explained Mary Margaret as David went to her and kissed her in greeting, Rumple doing the same thing to Belle.

“Gross,” groaned Emma and Bae together.

“I can’t wait for them to get older,” teased David with a wink. He sat beside Mary Margaret and turned to Emma. “To answer your question, we first went to the place where you were born Emma, the Northern Water Tribe resistance base.” He motioned with his hand towards Rumple. “Rumple’s Water Bending was great and all but he had never used it for offence.”

“So that’s where Great Aunt Regina comes in,” said Mary Margaret, with a small smile.

“Don’t remind me,” groaned Rumple. “I love the woman but that first few days of training was her being a drill sergeant.” He turned to Mary Margaret. “I used Mary Margaret as an excuse often enough that Regina almost dragged Mary Margaret to training and that I could learn to use both elements at the same time.”

“Which you did,” countered Belle. “If Aunt Regina hadn’t pushed you, then the attack on the base could have been much worse.”

“Was that the attack that…” trailed Bae. He was so young that time, barely 4, but he could still manage a few glimpses of his almost step-father, Killian.

“Sadly, it was,” began Rumple, his voice and eyes showing the sadness he felt. Killian had stayed on the ruined base and kept the Darkness’ ships from following Rumple and the others using his metal bending technique. It had worked at the very high price of his friend’s life.

“Where did you go next?” asked Emma. Sensing the sadness in her parents and aunt and uncle, she wanted to change the topic as soon as she could.

“We dropped by the Southern Air Temple where my father was based,” replied Mary Margaret. “Luckily our mode of transportation was Dopey and he could fly all of us there.” She turned to Emma who had inherited her Air Bending. “You see the Southern Air Temple could only be accessed via flying bison. Not even seasoned Air Benders could manage a flight like that.”

“We didn’t stay long though,” continued David, he too looking at his daughter. “We had debated whether to leave you there Emma. Our mission was far too dangerous for an infant but your grandfather argued that the safest place for a child was with her parents.”

“Did you think of leaving me there as well?” asked Bae to his father and Rumple nodded slowly.

“I did,” began Rumple. “Not in the Air Temple but at Ba Sing Se with your friends. But that decision was made for me when the Darkness and her men attacked the city.”

“In the end we all left the Southern Air Temple and headed for Omashu,” continued Belle, as she set the table of cookies in front for everyone to get. “Rumple needed an Earth Bending teacher and we needed to hurry. More cities and resistance bases were falling under the rule of the Darkness.”

“I already know this part,” said Emma nudging Bae with her shoulder. In the end it was Baelfire who ended up teaching his father Earth Bending, even Metal Bending and Sand Bending.

“Yup I saved the day!” grinned Bae as he turned to his father. “And I’m pretty sure I’m Papa’s favorite teacher.”

“Of course you are,” replied Rumple with a smile.

“Oh really?” asked Belle as she sat on his lap seeing as all the chair were taken. “And what does that make your Fire Bending teacher?”

“My wife?” offered Rumple with a cheeky grin.

“And the Air Bending teacher feels like a third fiddle,” replied Mary Margaret. “I’m glad Aunt Regina is out exploring the world with General Robin or else she would have a fit.”

“She always has a fit,” commented Rumple.

“So you guys stayed in Omashu until the Darkness attacked and you headed for Capital City, the last remaining resistance base and free nation.” clarified Emma.

“At that time,” said David. “We had no way of knowing that Robin managed to liberate Omashu and set up another resistance base in the outskirts of Ba Sing Se with the help of Regina.”

“Belle was successful in teaching Rumple Fire Bending but your step-mother felt like his fire was a bit weak,” said Mary Margaret. “She was only saying that because Rumple couldn’t create lightning.”

“But I can redirect it which is far more useful,” said Rumple and Belle smacked him on the shoulder.

“Not funny.”

“Was that the time you had gone by yourselves?” asked Baelfire and his parents nodded. He turned to Emma. “They left us at the main base at the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. Where did you go?”

“We went to the Temple of the Sun Warriors,” began Belle. “They were the first to fire bend after learning the art form from dragons. When we got there, the city was deserted...only to find out that the Sun Warriors were living in hiding due to what the Darkness had been doing to the world.”

“That’s where I learned that fire does not represent destruction or hate or negative feelings that you could use to harness it,” began Belle. “I was teaching Rumple to channel his anger into his bending instead of thinking of fire as a provider of life.”

“Just like the sun,” remarked Bae and both his parents smiled at how smart the boy was.

“The Sun Warriors taught me how energy flowed in all things,” said Rumple. “The four elements were energy and bending was basically manipulating energy itself. Our world,” Rumple motioned with his hand, “Is a great big ball of energy in a sense and what we have comes from it.”

“That sounds important,” said Emma.

“It is because that was how your uncle defeated the Darkness,” said David. “They returned just as the Day of Darkness dawned.”

“The day the moon blocked out the sun and we were in for darkness for a few minutes,” added Bae.

“It wasn’t just that Bae,” replied Belle. “It would a few short minutes but the Darkness would be at her strongest. Who knew what she could do during such a time with her powers enhanced.”

“But you did win,” said Bae as looked up to his parents. “We won’t be here now if you hadn’t. Granted Emma and I stayed at the base but you guys won.”

“Yes we did,” said Rumple with a smile. “The Darkness was energy in itself, possessing a woman. I channeled the energy and let it go back to merge with the natural energy of the world.”

“Why would you do that Uncle Rumple?” asked Emma.

“Because darkness is something we still need Emma,” explained Rumple. “It’s like day or night, we can’t have one without the other. We cannot have light without the darkness.”

“The woman who was possessed,” began Belle. “Nimue, she had channeled the dark energy of the world to try and make herself powerful so she could save her village but it corrupted her.”

“I can still remember her spirit saying thank you as she passed on,” said Mary Margaret as she turned to David, her sister and brother-in-law. “Although something else was memorable during that moment.” She turned to see both Rumple and Belle turning a slight shade of red.

Bae and Emma noticed. “What happened?” both teenagers asked.

“You know of the Avatar State, Bae,” began Belle. “Rumple doesn’t like going into that state because the last time he did he almost hurt all of us because he was determined to stop the Darkness.”

“I still don’t like it,” replied Rumple, he then turned to Bae and Emma. “In order for me to have extracted the Darkness from Nimue, I had to use the full power of being the Avatar and I had gone into my Avatar State...but I was lost within its powerful hold...the power was engulfing my soul.”

“Until I kissed him,” smiled Belle expecting the reaction from Bae and Emma but the two just grinned.

“I’d consider that True Love’s Kiss,” said Emma, turning to Bae. “Like those fairy tales and all that.”

“Yup, agree,” said Bae then turned to his parents. “My parents are True Love!”

* * *

_Rumple, you did it. Come back!_

_The power was too strong...it was intoxicating._

_Let go of all your worldly ties, Rumplestiltskin. Let go and you can have all the power of the universe._

_Rumple, come back to us._

_You don’t need them. You have power. Take it._

_Rumple, come back to me._

_They are your weakness. Embrace who you are._

_Rumple, I love you._

_They are not my weakness….they are my strength. I do embrace who I am and I am Rumplestiltskin. I am the Avatar._

_And then he felt warm lips on his and the surge of something warm...unlike anything he had felt before. The emptiness he had always felt when he went to Avatar State was slowly being filled by this warm feeling._

_It took a second for him to realize what it was...it was love._

Rumple bolted awake as the memory ended. He still dreamt of that moment...one would classify it as a nightmare but it always ended as it did. Belle rescuing him from the depths of his own power and bringing back.

“I guess reminiscing about the war brought them back, huh?” asked Belle as she sat up and wrapped her arms around Rumple. “You ok?”

Rumple turned to face her, a broad smile on his face as his hand landed again on her belly. His family was safe, the world was at peace and he was going to be a father again with the woman he loved.

He leaned forward and captures her lips with his and the warmth that he had always felt when he was with Belle surrounded them both.

“With you here, I always will be.”


End file.
